Sorry, don't wish to be a downer, but perhaps next time ask first and THEN cut 'cause unfortunately, you made the cuts in several less desireable places. The good news is w/ all those babies, you're likely to get lots of little plantlets.

Not sure if the stem cuttings will do anything (looks like 1 node from here). The leaves as you've pulled them MAY or may not do anything.

Pls. note that the fungus gnats are a problem of overwatering & too rich a mix (too peaty).

Once you get a handle on a better mix, the gnats should go away, I suggest you not use chemicals on this, especially indoors.

As for mix, I would only use cactus & succulents mix w/ lots of extra perlite (40-60%). No peat or vermiculite (both retain water, which property one does't want in this set up), certainly not sand, almost always a problem. Just the mix I mentioned + perlite or pumice.

Also, I'd water less often once these get started.

Thanks for the tips.

I'm well aware that I would have been told to take bigger cutting(s). Perhaps the conservative approach would have been to turn the plant into one big cutting, a somewhat larger "stump", and maybe four or six leaves removed from the bottom of the cutting.

However, I always try to push towards the smallest cuttings possible and that's what I'm trying to do here. See for example:

http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/passiflora/msg100542156419.html

It would not have made sense to ask for advice that I knew I would reject. So since I have the smaller cuttings, the question is how many plants can I make out of them. I think the already rooted piece (the stump) is a given. If all the other cuttings fail I've only set back a $1 plant. If some make it, it's a lot more fun than rooting one large cutting that should be pretty easy.

The stem cuttings are all 2 nodes. The leaves were removed from these, plus 2 leaves removed from the bottom of the tip cutting. That makes 10 leaves total. In theory, these pieces should be plenty big to generate a new plant. I'm curious if that is true in practice.

I grow mostly cloud forest plants that need constant moisture. I can't get rid of fungus gnats by keeping them drier (they are really only inside for propagation). I would be surprised if a fungus gnat would "reject" a pot because it's slightly drier. They seem to get everywhere when there's a problem.

BT is a biological, not chemical control. The israelensis strain is specific for mosquitos, black flies and fungus gnats. BT strains specific for caterpillars are generally considered organic and are used on crops as such. I know of no credible evidence that they are harmful. A fumigated house or a pet's flea control should probably be of greater concern. I have no problem using it indoors or outdoors.

I generally amend all soil with about 50% perlite, as most of the plants I grow like a light but constantly moist medium. I'm not sure whether my potting soil contains peat. I could look it up, but I'm not inclined to have another bag of soil sitting around; I'll make do. Perhaps I'll add even more perlite.

I also want to try this outdoors because of the better light and I think a lot of plants like the temperature drop at night. We probably won't cool off much until November, anyway.

So one question is whether to insert the leaves in soil or lay them on top. For some reason I'm skeptical these will root well on top of soil, especially given our humidity, which is not high. I gather the medium should be kept on the moist side of dry (?). I'm also curious how long to let things dry/callus. Is one day sufficient or should it be 2 or 3?

Here is a link that might be useful: How I root cuttings (link repeated from above)

Sorry I don't know what cloud forest plants are (am guessing semi-tropical at least).

I do know succulents which these are. By & large succulents especially the family of Crassulacae of which these are members are best propagated dry. Jades, assorted Kalachoe/ Bryophyllum, these are all rooted best dry.

It's not the size of the cuttings at issue, it's where you cut them & how you disassembled them. I would have left a pair of leaves on a stem cutting to nourish it while it got established. I think it'll be too difficult for them w/out leaves, but time will tell, I could be wrong.

Fungus knats will definately avoid drier plants (I believe it's the moisture they're after). Folks who don't keep their plants so moist don't have this problem.

Since you don't seem to believe me, search for yourself, either here at C&S or at Houseplants. Search for fungus gnats & note that most folks coming on w/ the problem have too water retentive a mix & improper watering habits & most of the time when they correct their mix, the problem resolves. And correcting it makes it not 'slightly' drier, but rather much drier, hence no more fungus gnats.

I wouldn't have a clue how many you'll get, but likely if not rid of the fungus gnats, they may well rot first before they've had a chance to root.

These are pretty sturdy & rugged plants I've rooted at least 1/2 dozen different Kalanchoes. I assure you dry is best to start, pls. be reminded that succulents have the ability to retain moisture in their own tissues, so one need not water them for quite a while. Maybe just a bit say a week after planting, then just a bit once in a while until you see new growth.

I'd give these bright, indirect light, not direct sun until they get established & then increase their sun exposure gradually.

Cloud forest plants are from the high elevations of the tropics; regions with lots of fog and constant moisture. Temperatures are typically cool (30s-70s) with little frost or heat. The botanical gardens in San Francisco and Berkeley are famous for growing such plants and many can only be grown in our climate in the U.S.

The stem cuttings I took have a pair of leaves. These are visible in the photo.

The fungus gnat problem is really not an issue here, as I will keep the cuttings outside. I have not had a problem with fungus gnats outside, where they are presumably controlled by natural predators.

I don't intend to kill moisture loving plants indoors by witholding water to see if the fungus gnats leave. I'm using physical (sticky) traps and BT israelensis. All plants are moist some of the time, after they are watered. If fungus gnats are in the area near a moist food source I anticipate eggs will be laid.

As I've said I plan to keep the cuttings on the moist side of dry. We can get afternoons with humidities in the teens or lower on hot days; sometimes we have to water accordingly, not according to a schedule.

Perhaps this was the source of confusion. I said first:

"The stem cuttings are two nodes, with the two upper leaves left."

In the later post I said:

"The stem cuttings are all 2 nodes. The leaves were removed from these..."

I meant to say: "The bottom 2 leaves were removed from these..."

The original statement, the picture of the cuttings as well as the number of leaves left over (10) should have made clear that I'm not using leafless cuttings.

Mark,
Mix up approximately 20-25% of your potting soil, and then equal parts of the perlite and pumice to make a fast draining mix.
Why not take half the cuttings and plant directly in the soil and lay the other half on top of the soil? Calluses should have already been forming, and because the cuttings are so small, I suspect they are ready. If not, wait a day or two more. DO NOT water the cuttings...there are no roots to take up water, so they will most likely rot. You CAN mist the cuttings every few days. When you see new grow on the planted cuttings or root formation on the cuttings laying atop the mix, THEN begin watering. Do not put the cuttings in direct sun for now...give them a chance to take hold, then gradually move them into brighter light.
Does this help?

Nancy

Hi Nancy,

Thanks for the suggestions--they are indeed helpful.

I ended up potting up the tip cutting last night, and the other cuttings this morning. I used a mix of about 2/3 perlite, 1/3 "potting soil". The soil was damp, but I imagine it will dry quickly given the nature of the mix and our weather at the moment. I potted up the leaves also this morning and planted those with a "curve" in the petiole with the petiole (partially) buried and the leaf resting on the surface. The other roughly half I partly buried "standing up".

I had to remove a leaf from each of the stem cuttings, as the leaves bent down and were rather inflexible. It was impossible to both bury part of the stem and leave both leaves on. So I have 4 more leaves. After a day or two I'll lay those on top of the mix (and start with that dry), perhaps in both orientations (serrations up and down).

As I mentioned anything that turns into a plant will be sent for postage (including the "stump", which I think almost certainly will make it). I thought it would make sense to include other things that I might have that could be easily propagated. I don't really grow too many succulents, so I gathered up a few things I have, a few things my sister (nearby) grows, as well as a couple things that aren't succulents. Some I've propagated before, some not. Instead of turn this into a monster propagation post I figured I'd just give a picture and ID them:

{{gwi:602102}}

1) Crassula corymbulosa 'Red Pagoda'. Should be trivial to propagate from leaves.
2) Calandrinia spectabilis. Not sure if leaves will work; I've only propagated it from cuttings.
3) Crassula ovata 'Hummel's Sunset'. Lack of color presumably due to not enough sun (also the case for 1 and 5).
4) Crassulata ovata 'Gollum' (I think, correct me if not). All of the leaves were taken from the two pieces.
5) Graptoveria 'Fred Ives' Crested. The lower 4 leaves were removed a couple weeks ago and show signs of life.
6) Kalanchoe gastonis-bonnieri. I assume the removed leaves root and/or make more offsets?
7) Crassula 'Campfire'.
8) Aeonium. A. arboreum or a hybrid? I don't expect leaves to propagate easily and I'm just trying this for fun..
9) Homalocladium platycladium. Roots easily. I'm trying mostly single-node cuttings.
10) Euphorbia xylophylloides. Again, I'm trying tiny (as small as two node) cuttings, to see if it will work.
11) Sinningia tubiflora.
12) Haemanthus albiflos. I've never tried this by leaf cuttings...
13) Bowiea volubilis. I've been successful with bulb scale cuttings in the past. I've written it up, but GW won't let me link to that site.

Apologies if any of the names are not quite right.

2,4,7,8 are from my sister's plants.

All of these guys (including K. 'Pink Butterflies') will probably take a while. Bowiea cuttings in particular take months for me.

Right now I have a small 3 (with some of the leaves stripped off), a small ugly 4 with roots, a small 9 with roots, a small 12 and a one of the small K. 'Pink Butterflies' if someone wants those for postage.

I just wanted give an update on the Kalanchoes. I'm a big believer in checking the progress of cuttings. Any potential damage is far outweighed by learning when, where and how the roots start growing, as well as identifying and fixing problems--rot, pests, etc. before they destroy everything. It's easy to avoid damaging the cuttings or young roots if one is careful.

At least two of the 'Pink Butteflies' stem cuttings have tiny roots started. One might have some rot, although it might just be necrosis due to something else. The leaf cuttings look unchanged.

I also wanted to mention again that I have an extra plant of the Kalanchoe and a few other things that I can send for postage. Since nobody contacted me earlier I added a couple things and took a picture:

{{gwi:602103}}

1) Bulbine frutescens (not sure which of the two common color forms it is)
2) Senecio barbertonicus
3) Crassula 'Hummel's Sunset'. Colors subdued presumably due to growing in shade.
4) Homalocladium platycladium. Not a succulent. Two small recently rooted cuttings.
5) Haemanthus albiflos. A small offset of a plant I got at the Huntington years ago.
6) Sempervivum arachnoideum. Few if any roots.
7) Kalanchoe 'Pink Butterflies'
8) Jade 'Gollum' (I think). Two unrooted, one rooted cuttings.

I would send things bareroot, with the possible exception of the Kalanchoe. Senecio barbertonicus is used as a landscaping plant in CA. I'm not sure how well it grows in the rest of the country. It would likely increase the total shipping weight from one pound to two.

All of these plants are easy outside in our climate.

Please contact me privately if you are interested in the plants for postage.

Gorgeous plants! How are they now, Mark4321?

The Kalanchoe propagation was partially successful. The tip cutting and the basal cutting did fine. The internal stem cuttings all rooted, and at this point 2/4 are still alive. I suspect the others might have died when the rains came. The cuttings were in the shade and I doubt they liked cool, soggy and shady. I have since moved them to a sunnier spot. None of the leaf cuttings made it, and the squirrels may have helped that along.

Here's a photo of the remaining cuttings from a few days ago:

{{gwi:602104}}

The pots are numbered as follows:

1) Two offsets that were rooted in a pot when I bought it. These could be 'Pink Butterflies' or something else.

2) The basal, rooted piece that remained after cuttings were made. New growth has started. There is also a rooted offset in that pot (all green plant on the left), and again I'll know at some point if it is truly 'Pink Butterflies'.

3) One of the internal stem cuttings, rooted and showing new growth.

4) The tip cutting, not showing any variegation, although it is clearly 'Pink Butterflies'.

5) Another internal stem cutting, rooted and growing. This one is in perlite and needs to be potted in soil.

There are several offsets growing in a pot of a 'Pink Butterflies' plant at my mother's. They have switched from the pink color of a unrooted offsets to white/green variegation:

{{gwi:602105}}

I haven't looked at the other cuttings I started but they are a mixed bag. Nothing is that far along at this point. The squirrels attacked a few things.

Curious how these turned out, I know it is an old post but I am reviving it anyways. ;)

I am surprised to see it sold anywhere , because in australia this plant " mother of thousands" is declared a noxious weed and its not allowed to be sold or propagated. you will have no trouble propagating, as thats why it has the name mother of thousands, all those little pink offsets will make a new plant. guessing you are in america

The Pink Butterfly version doesn't multiply like the original Mother of Thousands. Maybe one in a hundred of those little babies will grow because they're all pink, no chlorophyll. That's likely not to happen either. I have one right now that is spent that I'm trying to propagate some of the green leaves. In the states it is legal for retailers to sell the original Mother of Thousands.

Mark, if you are still offering K. Pink Butterfly for postage I would be delighted to take you up on that offer.

Hope Mark is still around - his last post is from 2012...

Kara, you're right about that!!! NONE of the plantlets from the Pink Butterfly I had a couple of years ago grew! Then the mother plant bloomed, I was hoping if I left the bloom it would produce little plantlets like the normal plant does, but, no such luck :(. Last year I couldn't even find another plant around here......maybe this year...

I'm so bummed out about my Pink Butterflies:(. If I ever find another one I'm gonna start trying to propagate early, and not wait till the plant has bloomed. I loved my plant. I'm definitely gonna be on the hunt for another one. They are beautiful plants. This pic is from last August. I should have tried to propagate then. Oh well lesson learned.

R.I.P. ;)

Yeah, it seems like the only way is by cuttings....I'm just not sure when to take them.....if taken early in the season it will bloom in the fall, like the mother plant, then it will be done. I wonder how it would overwinter if taken in the fall? I guess I have to find another one before I start worrying about propagating.

This guy has propagated from stem cuttings after the plant bloomed (scroll down for his post with pictures) and also says he propagated from the plantlets by keeping them under lights 24/7.

https://www.terraforums.com/forums/carnivorous-plant-trading-post/139276-kalanchoe-pink-butterflies-giveaways-trade.html

The thread on propagating from plantlets

http://forums.gardenweb.com/discussions/1823711/propagating-kalanchoe-pink-butterflies-from-offsets

I have hope now :) (as a bonus it looks like the plants grown from the plantlets have quite a bit of variegation)!

Oh this is great thank you. I still have the two stalks that bloomed. They're still alive just on their last leg. I would usually throw away, but I thought maybe if I kept the root ball something may pop up at the soil line. A bunch of wishful thinking I'm sure. This gives me hope. I never thought about trying to propagate the stem. Thank you very much! If I get anything I would love to send you a piece:).

Kara, that is so generous of you!!! Thank you so much!! I'll let you know if I find another plant this year.

(Sorry for the delay in posting ..... I've had some computer issues for the last few days :( )

Look what I found at the base of the plant! I found a nice green baby plant, not whitish pink. I was cutting the old stem into cuttings and I spotted it. I'm totally babying it right now, but looks good:).

Amazing took your advice Viciousfishes05 and it seems to be working. The old stems have zero roots, but still enough energy in them to make babies:)! Pic is not the best but you get the idea:).

Oh yay!! Congrats Kara, I started reading this and was hoping for your plant to make a comeback! Funny how attached we can become to certain ones(: it's a beautiful plant, hope it continues to thrive!! I got a cutting of a leaf off one, and after studying thought it was the pink version, but since the babies are green I think it's the traditional invasive form. Anyway blessings and hope to see future Happy updates on yours!

Looks awesome!! Wish I could advise on next move, but I am not sure. Hopefully someone will jump in, and help. Although it looks like you're doing great work and they look healthy Thanks for sharing